Did you know that the Japanese language loves onomatopoeias? Want to know all the onomatopoeias used in Japan? In this article we will see more than 500 sounds made with words in the Japanese language.
Different from many Western languages, onomatopoeias have a lot of importance, being frequent in the Japanese language. They are very commonly used, much more than in any other language.
Onomatopoeias can be written in either hiragana or katakana. They are also commonly used in casual phrases and everyday conversations. It is not considered childish or unusual to speak, but it is part of Japanese vocabulary and everyday life.
Japanese can use the inherited version of foreign languages "onomatope" [オノマトペ]. Japanese onomatopoeias are divided into 5 categories, we will examine each of them and see a list of each.
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Table of Content
Types of Japanese Onomatopoeias
Japanese onomatopoeias are separated into different categories that we will see throughout the article. Some of them are:
- Giongo: Sounds made by non-living things, such as cars or the wind.
- Gitaigo: Sounds that describe states of being, such as feeling sweaty.
- Giseigo: Sounds of living things such as people and animals.
- Giyougo: Sounds that express descriptive movement.
- Gijougo: Describes feelings, such as a shiver down the spine.
In addition to always being written with “hiragana”, onomatopoeias also tend to follow a pattern that helps to identify them. The defaults are:
- Double Form - The word [ワクワク] is usually repeated.
- と shape - Represents a short and fast sound [ハット];
- shape り - Represents a slow and soft sound [のそり];
It is worth remembering that the katakana is always used when we want to emphasize the sound of something. It is common, for example, manga authors most often express sound using katakana, there is no rule for this.
There are some onomatopoeias with ideograms, but they will rarely be used, and when used they can be written with kana. An example is “sansan” [燦燦] which means bright, sunshine.
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Giseigo [擬声語]
The onomatopoeias called “giseigo” refer to the sounds that people and animals make. Here are some onomatopoeias in Japanese:
animal noises
| Animal | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Bird | ピチュピチュ | Pichu pichu |
| Gato | ニャン | nyan |
| Cow | モーモー | mōmō |
| Raven | カーカー | kākā |
| Puppy | ワンワン | wan wan |
| Duck | がーがー | ga-ga- |
| Rã | ゲロゲロ | gerogero |
| Monkey | キャキャ | kyakya |
| Pig | ブーブー | buzzard |
other sounds
| Sound | Kana | Romaji |
| chewing | むしゃむしゃ | Musha musha |
| Bellyache | ごろごろ | Go go go |
| speak fast | ペラペラ | pear pear |
| Heart beating | ドキドキ | Doki Doki |
| baby crawling | はいはい | ha ha ha |
| reeling | ふらふら | puncture puncture |
| noisy footsteps | ばたばた | coat coat |
| sneezing | はくしゅん | Hakushun |
| Open and close the mouth | パクパク | Paku Paku |
| feet dragging | ズルズル | Zuru Zuru |
| crowd sound | ガヤ ガヤ | gay gay |
| jumping | ぴょん ぴょん | Pyon pyon |
| napping | うとうと | Uto uto |
| Clapping hands | パチパチ | Pachi Pachi |
| yawning | フワア | Fuwaa |
| running | グルグル | Guru guru |
| sobbing | ひくひく | Hiku hiku |
| Cough | ごほごほ | Goho goho |
| Blurred vision | しょぼしょぼ | Shobo shobo |
| rumbling belly | ペコペコ | Peko peko |
| eating ramen | するずる | Zuru zuru |
| Making noise | ゲラゲラ | generate generates |
Giongo [擬音語]
Noises that are not covered by giseigo. Sound effects such as the wind blowing, an explosion, or precipitation.
Action Noises
| Action | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Explosion | どん | don |
| Winch | きい | kii |
| Spark | ぴかぴか | pika-pika |
| Heartbeat | どきどき | doki-doki |
| Knock on the door | どんどん | don-don |
| Silence | しいん | shiin |
food sounds
| Action | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| sizzle | ピリピリ | piri piri |
| Lick | ペロペロ | but but |
| full stomach | パンパン | pan pan |
| sip | コグコグ | kogu kogu |
| Chomp; Munch | パクパク | paku paku |
| Slurp | ズーズー | Zūzū |
| To swallow | ごくごく | gokugoku |
sounds of nature
| Action | Noise | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| spill rain | ザーザー | Zāzā |
| Rain | パラパラ | parapara |
| Wind | ぴゅう | bye |
| Heat | かんかん | kankan |
| Thunder | ごろごろ | gorogoro |
Gitaigo [擬態語]
“Gitaigo” onomatopoeias are words that describe actions and emotions that do not necessarily make noise. They describe more abstract things like a facial expression or a feeling.
Some technically do not consider gitaigo to be onomatopoeia, but rather a type of mimicry conducted with words. The onomatopoeias Gijougo and Giyougo fall within this category.
See some examples below:
Feelings
| Sound | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| fuming with rage | いらいら | wrath |
| brooding | くよくよ | kuyokuyo |
| hesitant / tasteless | うじうじ | uji uji |
| Be angry | プンプン | Punpun |
| Impatience | じりじり | jirijiri |
Qualities
| Sound | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Noisy; rattle; hoarse | ガラガラ | garagara |
| Methodical | きびきび | kibikibi |
| Quickly | どんどん | dondon |
| abundant / ample | タップリ | Tappuri |
| Carefree | ノウノウ | Nono |
Actions
| Sound | Kana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Stare | マジマジ | Majimaji |
| Murmur; grumble | ぶつぶつ | Butsubutsu |
| Chat (especially from old ladies) | ぺちゃくちゃ | Pechakucha |
| Shake; get excited | ワクワク | Wakuwaku |
| smile / happy | ニコニコ | nikoniko |
| Isolated; grumble | ポツリ | Potsuri |
Other Onomatopoeias in Japanese
Want more onomatopoeias? Then receive!
| Sound | Kana | Romaji |
| Irritated | イライラ | Ira ira |
| Laughing | ほほほほ | Hohoho |
| idle | ぶらぶら | hole |
| Exhausted | クタクタ | Kuta kuta |
| staring | じろじろ | Jiro jiro |
| Distracted | うか うか | Uka uka |
| Laughing | ハハハ | haha ha |
| crying softly | シクシク | Shiku shiku |
| Crying loudly | ギャギャ | Gya gya |
| Acute pain | きりきり | Kirikiri |
| giggling | クスクス | Kusu kusu |
| Laughing | へへへ | Hehehe |
| Laughing | ヒヒヒヒ | Hihihi |
| Laughing | フフフフ | Fufufufu |
Learning Onomatopoeias with Video
There are thousands of other onomatopoeias, an extensive list, but this is something you will discover in everyday life and living with the Japanese. See below a video with more onomatopoeias and their sounds being performed:
Some of the onomatopoeias mentioned in the video:
- カツカツ - Shoe noise;
- がああ - Open;
- チャリン - Put coin in the vending machine;
- こと - Put shoes in the shoe rack.
- かちゃん - Open the door;
- パタパタ - Wearing socks;
- カタカタ - Typing on keyboards;
Onomatopoeias that end with [ん] are pronounced with a nasal sound, giving a sense of “prolonged resonance” or rhythm. See some examples below:
- ごほん - a strong cough
- こんこん - something hitting something
- じゃぶん - bubbling hard
- ぼーん - an explosive fire bursting into flames
- しん - cold deep penetrating your body
Sound Effects Onomatopoeias
Onomatopoeias are endless, and are often found in manga sound effects. Artists even end up inventing sounds using words, so it's limitless.
Finally, we will leave you another list of Onomatopoeias, but this time focusing on common sound effects in manga:
- ギャア - aaaah!
- キャア - aaah!
- ハックション - think
- あははは - ahahaha
- ラブラブ - love
- ゲッソリ - shoot
- メエメエ - baa
- バキ - thump (knocking sound)
- ガシャンッ - beat
- どきっ - beat (heartbeat)
- ブチュー - kiss
- ピピピピピ - bip Bip
- ベラベラ - blá-blá
- ピョンピョン - boing-boing
- ブクブク - bubble
- ブルブル - brrrr (shivering with cold)
- ブフーツ - snort
- どっかーん - boom!
- ビリビリ - bzzzt
- ジュージュー - hiss
- チチチ - chirping
- グラグラ - rattle
- ザー - heavy rain
- ガタンガトン - click-clack
- カタカタ - click-click
- カリ - crunchy / crunchy
- ズウウウウン - depressed/condemned
- チン - ding
- ジリリリリ - Ding Ding
- ピンポン or ぴんぽん - ding dong
- キリキリ - excruciating pain
- どろ どろ - drain
- グチャ - smash
- キラキラ - sparkling wine
- カチカチ - snap
- ドーン - bang
- ガガガ - bang/ratatat
- ハタハタ - flutter
- バラバラ - flutter
- サワサワ - rustling
- ぐにゃり - Bend
- ちらほら - float / float
- ふわふわ - cute
- ポ キッ - Photograph
- ゴクゴク - sip
- ぐうきゅるるる - gurgling/stomach growling
- ぼたぼた - drip drip
- ホホホ - haha ha
- ニヤニヤ - heh heh
- もじもじ - restlessness
- ハラハラ - restless
- ピカッ - snapshot
- こちょこちょ - koochie-koochie koo
- コロ コロ - list
- ガツガツ - to chew
- もぐもぐ - to chew
- にゃあ - Meow
- ギリギリ - grind
- びしょびしょ - wet
- ブツブツ - mumble
- もおー - moo
- ちゅっ - mwha (kiss)
- イヤア - no (screamed)
- ブヒブヒ - oin-oink
- ちらっ - peek
- じーっ - stare
- キキー - oohoohahah (monkey)
- おっとっと - oops
- ダダダダ - running feet
- ペこペこ - person bowing
- ソロリソロリ - tiptoe
- だらだら - lazy
- ヒリヒリ - pulse
- カサカサ - burn (as in sunburn)
- バキッ - crack
- チュウチュウ - creak
- ガ ー - swirl
- ヒヒーン - neigh / neigh
- ピチャン - splash
- グルルグルル - purr
- がおー - growl
- シワシワ - wrinkles
- ガチガチ - shake
- カラカラ - dry
- コスコス - secretly
- ちょこんっ - silence
- フーツ - hiss
- ブカブカ - loose / baggy
- ニヤニアヤ - ironic smile
- ちゅるちゅる - sip
- コト - clink
- ドンドン - ToC Toc
- ぐるぐる - dizzy
- ズズウウ - I bring
- ゾクゾク - shake
- バリバリ - grind
- コケッ - stumble
- バタバタ - wow!
- ヒュオオオオオ - howl
- べたべた - stick (as in sticky)
- ブロロロロ - vroom / zoom
- パタパタ - whooooosh
- ボー - woosh
- パチッ - zap/zzzt
- ブーン - buzz
- こっくり - zzzz
You learned all the onomatopoeias! If you want to learn more Japanese, keep following our website and sharing with your friends.